I am an almost complete beginner, having been doing kumdo (the Korean version of kendo) for 3 weeks now. In around 3 weeks time, I have to travel approx 21/2 hours away from my Dojo to install the roofs of 2 large houses. This will likely take 4-5 weeks to complete; I will be staying in the area during that time. I am already in hakama/gi; I have just ordered hogu/bogu a couple nights ago (while it was on special), anticipating that I'll be ready to use it before the out of town job starts. There is a kendo club 20 minutes or so from the jobsite; they hold beginners training on Saturdays; I will be going to meet the owners of the new houses this weekend to discuss shingle colours etc; I am considering visiting the local club during the same trip, just to see how they compare to my home club.
I own property 30mins from the out of town club, so that alone may make it a good idea to at least meet the sensei, since sooner or later I will be living in their catchment area pretty much full time.
My options during this time are:
To practice on my own during the evenings;
or join the local club for these few weeks;
or a combination of the two?
I understand from reading this site that many clubs take much longer to allow members to wear hakama and bogu, so will that be a sticking point?
At some stage, I will probably be doing a job with NO dojo within 3 hours' drive, then I will be on my own, though I will make efforts to track down any other kendoka who are in that area (Coromandel Penninsula)